velum
/ˈviː.ləm/ noun
Forms vela velums
- noun (anatomy) The soft palate.
- noun (botany) A thin membrane partially covering the cluster of sporangia near the leaf base in quillworts and their extinct relatives.
- noun (mycology) A veil-like membrane of immature mushrooms extending from the margin of the cap to the stem and is torn by growth, to reveal the gills.
- noun (malacology) A locomotory and feeding organ provided with cilia found in the larval stage of bivalves.
- noun (zoology) An annular membrane, typically bordering a cavity, especially in certain molluscs, medusae, and other invertebrates.
- noun A delicate membrane found on certain protists.
- noun (meteorology) An accessory cloud resembling a veil extending over a large distance; normally associated with cumulus and cumulonimbus.
- noun (biology) a thin coating or film of mucus or phlegm.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin vēlum (“a cloth, covering, awning, curtain, veil”). Doublet of veil.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Curtain or covering; --applied to various membranous partitions, especially to the soft palate. See under Palate.
- noun (a) See Veil, n., 3 (b).
Etymology [L., an awning, a veil. See Veil.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “velum”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details